The 4 top colour trends for 2016

Studies have shown that up to 90 per cent of snap judgments made about products can be based on colour alone, so choosing the right one can be crucial – which means you need to know 2016's top colour trends, whether you use them or not.

Today, brands are going further than just using the right colour in a logo or product to be 'on trend'. From fashion to food and furnishings, colour is being used to entice, excite, inspire and engage consumers.

Here we'll provide you with four key colour trends for 2016, together with the key insights driving these palettes.

Discover the specific palettes that relate to each of these trends in an exclusive report by creative consultancy FranklinTill, in issue 248 of Computer Arts, on sale now.

01. Less is best

The trend for simplicity has evolved since 2013, with brands stripping back to stand out. Even packaging for fine wine is being stripped of anything extraneous.

The timelessness of 2016's modern neutrals will flourish and be able to stand the test of the time. Limited colour palettes of black, white and greys offer clarity in a sea of choice and visual (over)stimulation.

02. Blue hues

Trehalose Artifacts by Jaime Tai

The battle to save the world's oceans has a bigger presence than ever across lifestyle sectors, and oceanic shades come to the fore in design.

The growing interest in these great expanses of blue and their desperate state is inspiring a new appreciation of the nuance, richness and meaning of the colour blue itself, from flat, deep blues and watery creeping marble bleeds to oxidised aquamarine and recycled denim.

Designers such as Éléonore Delisse address this imbalance by creating products that use the soothing, warm orange believed to counteract the cool, energising blue light inherent in digital interfaces.

04. Industrial pastels

Kampo Lounge by Studio ID

Shifting from feminine to masculine, reflecting gender neutrality and equality, pink becomes the new neutral and soft pastel tones get an industrial reworking in 2016.

Mint green and powdered shades of pink become key and appear in large quantities and in expansive forms. Sickly sweet shades are neutralised by accents of bright yellow, warm grey and inky blue-black to create a palette that is soft, sophisticated and gender-neutral.